Cassie and George's First Christmas Together
by snuggle the muggle
Summary: The newleyweds face their first Christmas together with a lot of relatives and, as usual, George manages to find a way to make life quite exciting! Some snogging, some fluff. Enjoy!


I know, I know. I should be working on another chapter of their honeymoon story, but I just had to get this one written after my husband suggested it. I hope you all enjoy it. I had a great time writing it.

This is, of course, a story following after the events of "Return to the Wizarding World," which is in turn a sequel to "Among the Muggles Again." If you haven't read RWW, you will undoubtedly not be able to understand this story. Sorry. Go read that one, then come back and read this. It will still be here. Promise.

Meanwhile, to all my faithful readers . . . Happy Christmas!!!

**This story is dedicated to MG– whose birthday happens to be today! Thanks for everything!**

George and Cassie's First Christmas Together

Otherwise Known as: They Get Into Trouble, but Have a Great Time About It!

Cassie Weasley lay perfectly still for a moment, allowing everything to sink in before she moved and the morning started. She smiled to herself. She could feel George curled up behind her in bed and his heavy arm was thrown around her waist. This was the first night they had slept together at her house since they had been married four months before and it had been a little bit odd. George hadn't really wanted to sleep over at all, saying that it would be easier to sleep at their own house and just portkey over in the morning. But Cassie had insisted that she wanted to be there first thing when her brothers woke up and the normal Christmas morning chaos broke out. She thought she had finally convinced him by describing, in quite vivid detail, about a dream she had had before they had gotten married that had involved the two of them in her childhood bed. His eyes had practically glowed feral after that, and he hadn't protested again.

They had spent the evening before at the Burrow with all of the assorted Weasleys. It had been a very loud, but fun, party with the ever-growing clan. Frank, Bill and Fleur's baby, was now a little more than a year old and was toddling all over the room, getting love and attention from everyone but also getting into trouble. Cassie watched with no little concern as he seemed to get into everything. Fleur kept her wand handy to repair things he broke or remove things from his path and Cassie wondered how she would ever survive without magic. Angelina, now 8 months pregnant, looked like she was about to pop and she had long since lost her normal fluid grace. She and Cassie had chatted for quite a while about the names she and Fred were considering for the baby. Hermione had looked green for most of the evening so it was no surprise when she and Ron announced over the groaning dinner table that yet another new Weasley would be joining the family in about July.

Harry and Ginny had looked radiantly happy and to Cassie it was quite amazing to see his transformation. She had seen him when she thought he was relaxed and happy before. Certainly, he had never sulked and looked overly stressed except when there was an active battle or something. But now, six months after the defeat of Lord Voldemort, and three weeks after his wedding, she realized that always lurking below the surface had been a great vast pit of worry. That was completely gone now and he looked truly happy. The two girls had managed to sneak off for a few minutes and Cassie hugged Ginny tightly. It was the first time they had seen each other since Ginny's wedding.

"Well . . . how are things? Tell me all the juicy details." Ginny flushed slightly.

"I don't think you need details."

"But I do. I deserve them." Cassie blushed and grinned self-consciously. "I was, after all, the one that gave you all those helpful hints." Ginny flushed again but answered.

"Things are . . . great. Better than I ever could have imagined."

"So . . . ?"

"He's very thoughtful. Very sweet. And he loves me."

"Ginny! That's a wimpy answer. He is very thoughtful and sweet naturally! And we all know he loves you! I want to know . . . "

"I'm not saying. That's between Harry and me. I'll just tell you that . . . he's been late to work every day this week." Cassie laughed and hugged her friend.

"I'll take that as a good sign, then."

"How about you two?" Now it was Cassie's turn to flush.

"We've never had a problem."

"I know, but it's been four months, maybe it's getting old."

"After four months? Maybe I need to give you some more helpful hints! I'll just say that George, well, he keeps things interesting." Cassie bit her lip and wondered if she should tell Ginny a little secret. Sure, why not? She was discreet. "Like tonight for instance."

"What? What's happening tonight?"

"We're sleeping at my house tonight."

"You are? In your room?"

"Yeah."

"Oooh. That could be . . . interesting."

"Exactly." Cassie bent close to Ginny's ear and told her what they had planned for that night.

"Do you think you'll actually have the guts to do that? In your parents' house?"

"Well, he says that he'll use silencing charms liberally. And locking charms on the door." Ginny laughed loudly.

"I guess. Well, that sounds fun. I think Harry and I will just apparate back home. But maybe next year, I'll suggest that we stay here." The two girls were still laughing over that idea when George walked into the room, looking suspiciously between the two of them.

"What are you two doing?"

"Just talking." Cassie giggled again. "About Harry and Ginny . . ."

"Stop! Don't say anything. This is my sister!"

Cassie scowled in disgust. "They're married. Do you think they just hold hands at night?"

"AAAH! Enough, enough! I don't want to think about it!"

"Oh, boy."

"She was telling me about . . . ." Cassie's eyes grew wide and she tried to wave off the end of Ginny's sentence, but Ginny just grinned and finished. "Your plans for tonight. All I can say is . . . tell us about it later."

George grinned and pulled Cassie close, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Naughty, naughty girl. Sharing secrets. And Ginny, when you grow up a bit, then I'll tell you about what is going to happen tonight."

"I'm Cassie's age!"

"Not quite. She's about 3 months older." He stuck his tongue out at his sister, who stuck her tongue right back at him. "Come on. Everyone's waiting to open gifts and they're wondering where you two are. I think Harry is looking particularly forlorn."

Cassie was drawn back to the present moment when George grunted and pulled her closer in his sleep. Last night had been . . . well . . . very nice. Her husband certainly knew what he was doing. She rolled over and kissed his chin, the only place she could reach without moving out of his arms. He smiled and she knew he was awake. "Good morning, George."

He smiled. "Shush. I'm having a great dream. I'm in bed with this incredibly sexy woman."

"Is she blonde?"

"No. Brunette. With these deep dark eyes. But . . . ooh" he coughed as she punched him in the stomach, lightly, because she knew he was kidding. "Okay, okay. She's blonde. Can she still have dark brown eyes?"

"No!" He opened his eyes and smiled down at her.

"I'm just teasing you, Cass. You've ruined me for anything now but blue eyes and gorgeous blonde hair." He kissed her but she turned her head and his mouth hit her cheek.

"I haven't brushed my teeth."

"Well, neither have I." They smiled at each other and she felt her face getting warm.

"Thank you for last night, George." He raised an eyebrow.

"It was your fantasy."

"It was a dream, a dream! I had no control."

"Uh, huh. You going to stick with that story?" He had picked up that saying from Cassie, because she said it to him all the time.

"It's true!"

"Right. Well, look. Feel free to share any more 'dreams' with me, especially if they're all as sexy as that one."

"I will. I promise." They both grinned at each other again and she snuggled her head against his chest. After a moment, he spoke again.

"Tell me again who all is going to be here today."

"Both sets of my grandparents, my dad's sister Emily and her family, and my mum's brothers and sister and all their kids. But it won't be as busy as the Burrow last night."

"So not quite bedlam, then?"

"You've met them all before. At the dinner the night before and then on the day of the wedding."

"I don't remember anything from that day except how beautiful you looked in that dress."

"Well thank you. You looked very handsome. I remember that."

"So, they know about my being a wizard, then." Cassie thought she heard a touch of nervousness in his voice, but she couldn't imagine why.

"Of course."

"And they don't mind?"

"If they did, they wouldn't have agreed to come. I actually think they're looking forward to getting to know you better." Just then, a loud pounding sounded through the room and then the door was flung open and John and Matthew ran inside. Matthew, who was now 14, stood shyly looking at the two of them while John exuberantly jumped up onto the bed and tackled George which had the unfortunate side effect of smooshing Cassie. "Geroff . . . geroff." George lifted John completely up off the bed, the strength in his arms from Beating in Quidditch still very much in evidence at that moment.

"You're killing your sister." Cassie shoved away from George and sat up, rubbing her temple where John's knee had hit. "And besides. I thought your parents specifically told you last night not to interrupt us."

"They said you might be kissing, but Matthew and I didn't care about that. We've seen you kiss loads . . . it's disgusting, but it's Christmas, so who cares." Cassie laughed and noticed that Matthew had turned red, obviously just this second realizing that their parents had been trying to be diplomatic and George and Cassie actually might have been doing something else. Cassie didn't know how to reassure him that George would have put a locking charm on the door if that was the case, so she just let the subject drop. George put John back down on the bed and proceeded to tickle him, and Cassie, knowing that the snuggling time was over stood up, walked over to Matthew and hugged him.

"Get up there. You can play, too."

"You don't mind?"

"No, I'm going to get in the shower. There's no use trying to relax with him in the bed." John was now squirming in hysterical giggles as George tickled him senseless. Matthew ran to the bed and jumped on, tickling his brother-in-law to get him to let go of John. Cassie just shook her head but smiled as she grabbed some clothes out of her bag and stepped into her bathroom. When she was a young girl, dreaming of whom she would eventually marry, she had never thought that it would matter to her what her brothers thought of the man. At that time, she probably would have thought if he hated them as much as she did it would be a good thing. Well, maybe hated was a bit strong of a word. They were small and annoying, but she had always loved them. But now, seeing how he was with the two of them, it made her very happy. She turned on the water and took her pyjamas off while it warmed up. She imagined that in a few years she and George might have little kids of their own who would burst into the room and want to jump on the bed with him and smash her head with their eager feet and knees. That thought made her grin as she stepped under the spray. She hoped they all had red hair. Her face lost its smile as a not-so-happy thought crossed her mind. And she also hoped they could do magic like their dad. She shoved the thought aside. She had spent many an hour worrying about that aspect of a mixed wizard-Muggle marriage. But today was Christmas, and she wasn't going to let that get her down. Not today.

She stepped out of the shower a moment later and dressed quickly. The heat from the shower had warmed up the room quite a bit, but it was still chilly. She opened the bathroom door so the mirror would de-steam itself and she could hear the laughing and exclamations still coming from her bed.

"All right, you hooligans. I'm getting up now and getting dressed so that we can get to opening the presents!"

"Mum said we can't anyway until everyone gets here. And that won't be for another hour." John sounded so glum at that prospect that Cassie had to laugh.

"I don't think she meant your presents from Father Christmas. You can open them first thing!" she called back to them. "At least, that's what she told me. George and I will hurry!" She heard the clomp of their heavy feet as the boys tore out of her room and down the hall. A moment later a very bedraggled-looking George poked his head into the bathroom.

"It won't be much longer before Matthew can best me."

"Oh, please. I've seen you with a beater club."

"Well, I'm getting old. When he's 18 and I'm, uh, 25, I'll be doomed." Cassie laughed as he started stripping off his clothes. They smiled at each other through the mirror and George raised an eyebrow. "There's room in here for two." She was about to decline his offer, knowing that her mum would be frantically trying to get ready for all the company and trying to get breakfast on the table. But the thought of being in the shower with her husband was very tempting.

"Okay. But we've got to make it quick." She peeled off the jumper she had just put on and George looked surprised. She undid her bra and reached for the waistband of her jeans. "You did want me to get in, didn't you?"

"Yes! Are you kidding? Yes!" A few minutes later she was helping him wash his hair which, being that she was so much shorter than he was, resulted in a lot of giggling and not too much actual hair washing. Even though she insisted that she was already clean, he insisted on making sure and it actually wound up taking a very long time before the two of them made it out to help her mother.

She looked up at the two of them, rather aggrieved. "Matthew said you were ready half an hour ago!"

"Uh, yeah." Cassie swallowed hard willing herself not to blush, but she dared a glance at George and his ears were bright pink. Dang. That would give everything away. "We were talking." Her mother pinched her lips and didn't say anything more, but Cassie was pretty sure that she caught the ghost of a grin as she turned away from the two of them.

"Well, uh, now that you're here, maybe you can cut the grapefruit?" George had some sort of magic charm to get the grapefruit out of their little pockets and Cassie let him go wild with that as she helped her mum finish some other last-minute items. "He's rather handy to have around isn't he? I mean, with household chores and all." The last few words sounded strangled and Cassie wondered if her mother was trying not to laugh. Cassie could feel her face getting hot again and she stared down at the pastries on the tray for quite a few minutes before she said anything. Her father emerged right before everyone else was due to arrive with a scowl on his face.

"Blast! Someone used all the hot water! I had to take a cold shower!" Cassie's eyes grew wide and George looked up and caught her gaze.

"Sorry, Dad. It was me. I, uh, took a hot bath this morning. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too, Andrew. I didn't realize . . ." George broke off and then regrouped. "We never run out of hot water. It's charmed, you see . . . and, well . . . after Cassie took her long bath, I took a really, really long shower." Her father grimaced again.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can go back to your charmed hot water tomorrow and leave me with my Muggle plumbing. I suppose I can understand, though, that you didn't know. Now, dear, what can I do to help?"

Cassie and her mother exchanged amused glances over their full hands. "Nothing, sweetheart. Everything's done."

"Ah, wonderful. You're so efficient." Cassie knew that her mother could have bit out a nasty retort that she had been busy for the last four hours and that he maybe could have offered to help out sooner, but, of course, she wouldn't. She smiled at her mother. And she supposed she would do the same in a few years. It was part of being married. To a man. She went over to George and hugged him.

"And that's the best kind to marry."

"What?" George looked at her, obviously confused.

"Nothing. I was just thinking out loud."

"Okay, if you say so." He looked at all the food arranged on the dining room table. "This all looks wonderful." Cassie nodded. And her mum had done it all without magic.

"She made a lot of food because she was worried we might run out. She's been pretty nervous about all this company."

"Tell me about it." Cassie once again caught a hint of nervousness in his tone but before she could ask about it, the doorbell rang and the first guests had arrived.

It was her dad's parents and her aunt Emily and uncle Roger, along with their 10-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son. The boy immediately disappeared with John into their bedroom to examine the "neato" art set that Father Christmas had brought. Of course, neither boy still believed in Father Christmas per se but they never refused his gifts. Her cousin Chelsea smiled at her and Cassie smiled back. She hadn't ever gotten along too well with her as she was so much younger and (in Cassie's opinion) a spoiled brat. But Cassie knew that as soon as the other cousins arrived, she would be out of her hair.

She stepped over and hugged her grandmother tightly. "Hi, Grandmama! How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm still hanging in there. It's not easy getting old, though."

"You're not old."

"Nonsense! Don't try to flatter me, dear. Now, introduce me again to that handsome husband of yours. I am sure he doesn't remember me."

Before she had a chance, too, though, her grandfather wrapped his arms around her. "Cassie-girl. How is married life treating you? Are you happy?"

"Delirious, grandpapa!"

"Good. I'd hate to have to hurt the boy." Cassie laughed and pulled them both over to George who was looking rather lost with a sickly smile on his face, like he had pasted it on and was afraid to move in case he couldn't get it back.

"George, these are my grandparents, Henry and Elizabeth Robinson."

"Yes. Hello." He stood up and shook hands.

"Do you still think you're a wizard?" Cassie's eyes widened at her grandpapa's question and her grandmama scowled at her husband.

"Shush, Henry. Don't be rude."

"I'm just curious. Cassie-girl knows I'm not being rude."

"Grandpapa. He doesn't think he's a wizard, he is a wizard."

"Right." But he was still looking expectantly at George who finally decided apparently that he better answer the question.

"Um. Well. Yes. That's me. I've been a wizard all my life, you see." Her grandpa nodded, but shot a look over at her grandmother that almost made her laugh. The look basically said, "I told you he was a nutcase." However, George didn't seem to catch it, which made Cassie feel a little better.

Her grandmama just smiled at George. "I was telling Cassie that I am sure you don't remember meeting me at the wedding."

"No, I'm sorry. Everything was a bit of a daze."

"Of course, of course. Perfectly understandable. Now . . ." she patted his arm and slipped hers through. " . . .tell me again what it is you do for a living?" They headed toward the breakfast table and George looked back pleadingly at Cassie.

"Uh, a joke shop. My brother and I run a joke shop."

"Oh that's right . . . you've got a twin, married to that lovely black girl, right?" Cassie felt like sinking into the floor.

"Yes. Angelina. They're about to have their first baby any day now."

"Oh, how wonderful. And your family don't care that she's black?"

"Grandmama!"

"Well, it's an old woman's prerogative to ask rude questions. We've learned there's no use beating around the bush."

"Uh, no. That's never actually come up. We, uh, worry more about other things."

"And what would those be?" George was fortunately spared answering that question by the arrival of another family. Cassie's mother's brother Greg, his wife, Michelle, and their three children, all three of whom stared with unabashed curiosity at George. Cassie said hello and introduced them all in turn.

"Can you really do magic? My mum says you must be off your nut." George looked down at the three of them.

"Didn't you see me and my family doing magic at the wedding?" Cassie shook her head.

"The children didn't come." George didn't look like that really mattered.

"Didn't your mum and dad see me, then?"

"That's enough, girls. Go find Chelsea. She's here somewhere." Cassie ended the line of questioning abruptly. The girls ran off and at least Aunt Michelle had the grace to look abashed at their comments.

"George, so nice to see you again." Greg shook his hand heartily. Cassie liked her Uncle Greg. Unfortunately, she found it much herder to like her Aunt Michelle who was always a bit of a snob. She wondered if her aunt had married Greg in part because he had a lot of money and she was able to look down at the rest of the family. It wouldn't surprise Cassie if her Aunt Michelle was secretly jealous she had married someone more "interesting" than Greg and didn't want to actually admit he might actually be a wizard. George shook her Uncle Greg's hand back. "Now, I don't know if you remember, but I'm an investment banker."

"No. . . I didn't." George looked over his shoulder at Cassie, but her mother had grabbed her to help refill some already-empty plates and she didn't have a chance to help him out. She knew her Uncle Greg invested in small businesses, hoping to get in on the ground floor of future multi-million pound companies and she also knew he was good at advising said businesses on how to handle their taxes and things. She didn't suppose it would really hurt for George to talk to him, although he didn't really need her uncle's assistance.

By the time they met up again 20 minutes later with the late arrival of her other set of grandparents, George was looking thoroughly befuddled. "I don't really know what your uncle was talking about. He seemed nice, but it was like he was speaking a different language."

"Yeah. He does that to me, too."

"He asked me about our gross and net income . . . I told him about how many Galleons we made this year. He wasn't impressed."

"With how much you made? He should be."

"No, with the fact we work in Galleons. He wanted it converted to Pounds Sterling."

"Ah. And did you remember how many Pounds per the Galleon?"

"Yeah. So that impressed him alright. He said he couldn't believe a joke shop could make that sort of a profit. Then he started talking about tax shelters and I was completely lost. I'm glad there was some sort of interruption."

"I'm sorry, George. I . . . Well, I love most of my family, but they're a bit much all at once."

"It's fine. You put up with mine." He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "And the food is good." He looked at the new arrivals who were slowly making their way through the crowd toward Cassie and George. "These must be your mum's parents. She looks exactly like your mum."

"Yeah. You're right. She does. Come on. Let's get this over with." Rebecca's dad seemed thrilled with the idea there was actual magic in the world and immediately pulled George over to a corner.

"I want your opinion, young man."

"Uh, sure. On what?"

"On something that happened to me many years ago, but I've never forgotten it, and I've always thought that it was some sort of magic. But, of course, no one believes me when I tell them. But you're magical, right?"

"Yes."

"Well ever since Pia made that rather surprising announcement at your wedding, I've been wanting to run this by you."

"Okay. I hope I can help."

"This was years ago. Before I even met Martha. I couldn't have been more than 15. I was with my parents at the seashore, on holiday. But I got rather tired of laying there with nothing to do, so I went on a walk." Cassie had heard this story before but it had been many years and she hadn't paid that much attention anyway, thinking her grandfather was just making it up. She tried to remember the details, but they weren't coming to her. "I was quite a distance from my family, just walking along, looking out at the water. I stumbled and looked down. I was amazed to see . . . well, I'm embarrassed to say, but I swear, I saw . . . a mermaid looking up at me. She was nothing like I'd ever imagined a mermaid to look like, though. She was grayish, and her hair was green and matted." George was nodding. "And she screeched at me. I fell backwards, in surprise as you can imagine, and she simply flopped over, into the edge of the water, and she was gone. I waited there for a long time, hoping that she would come back again, but she never did."

George nodded again. "I've never seen a mermaid in real life, I'm afraid, Mr. Evans. But I've seen a painting, and spoke to her, and my friend Harry Potter actually had to fight with some at the bottom of the Hogwarts lake, and I think that's a pretty accurate description. I could read up on it a bit in some of my old textbooks. Or, even better, ask my sister-in-law. She's a walking textbook."

"So mermaids are real?"

"Oh, yes. But they don't normally come out around Muggles, you see. Well, or wizards either. They don't really socialize at all, even with other magical creatures. She may have been sick or something."

"That would explain the screeching then?" Cassie looked with some concern at her grandfather, who was getting very excited. She hoped he didn't keel over with a heart attack or something.

"She wasn't actually hissing. She was speaking – it's just that their language sounds like a lot of hissing and spitting and screeching to us. It's called Mermish and you can understand it if you're underwater. At least, that's what Harry said."

"George! Cassie! Dad! If you're going to eat, come now. Everyone's getting impatient to open the presents. Stop hiding in the corner."

"We're not hiding, Becca. I'm talking to this very fascinating young son-in-law of yours."

"Well, that's nice. Come on, Dad. I've got your favorite here – raisin toast."

All three of them went over to the table, now considerably more empty than it had been a while ago. "Becca, remember that old mermaid story I used to tell you? . . ."

"Of course, Dad." Cassie could tell her mother was only half listening and she felt bad for her granddad. This was obviously pretty exciting for him, and her mum didn't seem to care.

"George here says I wasn't just imagining things. That mermaids do exist and they look like mine did."

"That's nice, Dad." But her mom's thoughts were elsewhere, and Cassie hugged her granddad tight.

"Tell her later. When she's not so busy. George will still be around to verify your story." Her grandfather smiled at her.

"You're right, of course. There's no real rush." The three of them grabbed something quickly off the table and made their way into the living room where the tree and the presents and all of the people were assembled. As soon as they walked in, Cassie felt like every eye in the room was on her and George and as they sat down next to Matthew, that didn't change. She looked around the room, smiling vaguely at the few people she hadn't said hello to yet, her other two sets of aunts and uncles and cousins who had arrived while she was talking to granddad about his mermaid.

The pile of gifts was truly impressive. Of course, there were 31 people in the room and they all had several there, so it all added up to a rather large amount. Andrew and Matthew squatted down next to the tree and started handing out the presents. Cassie watched them for a few minutes and then once again noted that everyone was looking at her (and George). She hoped that maybe she was imagining things but after a moment, George leaned over to her and said, "Do I have something on my nose or something? Everyone is staring at me."

Cassie looked at him carefully, making sure that nothing was actually on his face. "No . . . you look fine to me. But they are all staring at us. I don't know why." She didn't know what to do. She hated to interrupt the handing out of the presents or ruin anyone's festive mood, but this staring was making George uncomfortable and it really wasn't very fair. She looked over at her mother, who was looking rather discomfited herself. Her father brought over a pile of presents for the two of them and ruffled her hair.

"There you go, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Dad. Um, do you think I should tell everyone to stop staring at us?" Her dad looked around, rather surprised at her question. Everyone was looking around, but their eyes would eventually arrive back at George.

"Well, he is an unknown quantity. Maybe they're all just curious." Cassie shifted in her seat and looked at her mother again, who shrugged, apparently also at a loss of what to do. Finally, when all the presents were handed out, Andrew and Matthew sat down and George grumbled under his breath and then stood up.

He cleared his throat. "Okay. Why is everyone looking at me? I don't think it's because I'm so devilishly handsome." No one said anything at first, just sort of dropped their eyes and shifted uncomfortably. "Well, come on. Say what it is so we can deal with it and move on. But, if it's just that you don't like me . . . well, I'm sorry. I'm here to stay, so you'll have to put up with my presence. If that is what's bothering you." He looked around expectantly.

Finally, Cassie's Aunt Terry cleared her throat and spoke, "Well, speaking for myself . . . I . . . well, I'm really curious to see you do magic. And I don't want to . . . miss it, if you should happen to do something this morning. You know, something incredible. But, I don't know about everyone else." The others around the room nodded, agreeing with her reasoning.

"But you saw me do magic already. You saw lots of people do magic at the wedding. Cassie's robes . . . the embroidery was moving. My sister-in-law Fleur, she levitated her baby. Ron, my youngest brother, put a silencing charm on his wife for a moment at the reception; then, of course, she turned his hair bright purple . . . there were spells flying all over the place there." Again, the nervous shifting and the careful studying of the shoes. Cassie stood up and linked her fingers with George's.

"What exactly do you want him to do? . . . He can do it and then be done with this and we can get on with opening our presents.

Everyone perked up at this and there were calls from around the room. "Make something move." "Turn something into something else." "Make my sister laugh with that giggling charm thing." "Open a present without touching it." "Make something disappear." "Zap yourself across the room." George listened to all of these, his eyes wide as he tried to think what he could do.

"All right. I can do all of that. I . . . uh, well, I'm not really supposed to do magic in front of Muggles, but I think we'll be okay as it's Christmas morning and I bet the office isn't fully staffed." Several people laughed but they noticed George wasn't joining in, so it slowly died out. George shrugged and walked over to the end of the hall where he pushed the door open. "I hope you all are going to help me do all this magic, because you've asked for quite a bit of it." There were confused looks but everyone nodded. "Okay. Just don't forget you agreed." He winked at Cassie and pulled out his wand. "Accio chocolates." Everyone ooh'ed as a large box of chocolates flew into his hands. "There's your first request." He then waved his wand again and with a pop disapparated. A split-second later he was standing in the middle of the floor – a good 20 feet from where he had started out. Several people jumped back in surprise, but Cassie was pleased to note that they didn't look frightened. "This is a box of chocolates we sell at my store. Very popular. Notice that the pictures on the box move and feel free to take a chocolate as it comes around. They're very good."

Cassie watched as the box of Rudolphos circulated around the room and everyone took one. They didn't eat them, though, just looked at the box. Several of them touched the moving decorations on the box and looked impressed. George noticed that no one was eating the chocolate and decided to do a few more "tricks" for them. "Okay, lets see . . . a giggling charm, huh? Any volunteers? Chelsea volunteered, much to Cassie's surprise and a few seconds later she was laughing hysterically and tears were running down her face. George lifted the spell, and smiled kindly at her. "All right . . . as a reward, I'll transfigure something for you. What's your favorite flower?"

Chelsea wrinkled her nose but didn't answer for a second. "I guess roses are okay."

"Roses, huh? Okay. Roses it is." George thought for a second and then waved his wand at the mistletoe above the kitchen door. "Pity this has to go. But, it'll do. Accio mistletoe." When it landed in his hand, he said the spell and handed a lovely bunch of red roses over to Cassie's 10-year-old cousin a moment later. "How's that?" Everyone clapped and George hammed it up, bowing. "Okay, that was changing something into something else. What else? Oh, yeah. You wanted me to make something disappear." He banished the box of chocolates back into the bedroom and laughed when there were protests. "It's not that easy to make stuff invisible. That's the best I can do at the moment." Cassie looked around at her family. She had even taken a Rudolpho when the box had passed by her as had her mother and father even though they knew what was going to happen. They were good sports about it.

George smiled at all of them. "Here comes the part where you get to help me. Go ahead and eat your chocolates." A moment later almost everyone had either stuffed the entire chocolate in their mouth or at least taken a good bite. There were a few heartbeats of delay and then suddenly, a pair of small antlers popped out of the head of one of Cassie's young cousins with accompanying shrieks of surprise and delight. Within five minutes, everyone in the room was sporting a good pair of antlers and a flashing Rudolph nose and they were all laughing at each other and feeling their own. Cassie listened to the excited talk, happily waiting for her own nose and antlers to disappear.

"This is incredible . . . how does that work?"

"Those are great!"

"I don't suppose he'd give us any to take home."

"You look lovely with that bright red nose."

"George Weasley! You fix these Muggles right this instant!" That shrill voice caught Cassie off guard and she turned her head too quickly, which threw off her balance and she fell off her chair right onto her tush. This caused her to be staring up into the angry face of her mother-in-law who was standing next to a very bemused looking Arthur. They had apparently apparated into the office as usual and walked out into the living room. Cassie and Rebecca had invited them to come this morning for a little while, but Cassie hadn't known they were going to come this early.

"Oh, hi, Mum. I . . . you're here earlier than I think you were expected." George stammered. Molly looked like she was about to breathe fire without the assistance of any of George and Fred's Dragon Kisses candy.

"What are you doing?!"

"They wanted to see magic. So, I thought this would be funny." Molly scowled but then after another minute she smiled.

"I guess it is, really. I may as well have one myself and I bet your father would have one, too." Arthur looked like he was going to decline, but at Molly's firm insistence, he finally nodded. George went down the hall to retrieve the box by hand this time, and Cassie stood up to introduce the newcomers.

"Um, um. This is my mother-in-law, Molly Weasley and my father-in-law, the Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley." Trying to talk with a Rudolph nose was difficult and she could hear Matthew trying not to laugh at her nasally voice. But she persevered, "Molly, Arthur . . . this is my family. I think you met most of them at the wedding, but I bet you don't remember them." The Weasleys nodded around.

"Even if I did remember some of them, I'd never recognize them at the moment," Arthur said; and Cassie had to admit that this was true. No one really looked like themselves, what with the antlers and the flashing noses. "But maybe in few minutes." Cassie sat back down in her chair as her mother stood up next to the Weasleys.

George returned with the chocolates and handed them to his parents, who were already sitting down next to Rebecca and Andrew. The rest of the family was still exclaiming over their own antlers or watching with baited breath for Molly's and Arthur's to appear. Cassie smiled at her husband as he sat down next to her again and wrapped his arms around her and then kissed her on her still-red and flashing nose. "You make a beautiful reindeer."

"And you make even the most boring gatherings exciting."

He looked offended. "It's not my fault. They all wanted to see magic."

"Yes. And, of course, you couldn't simply do a simple vanishing charm and let that be it, could you?"

"Ah, Mrs. Weasley. You know me so well."

"I do know one thing, Mr. Weasley," she said as she felt the pop of the disappearing antlers and the slight itchiness on her nose that always accompanied its returning to normal.

"What's that?"

"Life with you will never be predictable." He kissed her then, and Cassie thought that predictable was way overrated. "I love you, George."

"I love you, too, Cassie. Happy Christmas." And Cassie thought that really, despite everything, they couldn't ask for a better first Christmas together.


End file.
